Machine for heat treating glass tubes and the like



Oct. 18, 1932. c. E. BRE MILLER MACHINE FOR HEAT TREATING GLASS TUBES AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Sept. 16, 1927 .N\ .QM N N R vi 3 b 3 a Q T E 11-. L u i I}: I I I I J a B 4 J Q ww w, v J QN QM \N Q \N w. 0 O0 OO O OO O 0 0O OO O O am .1 LI; fi n \M v S Q RR Oct. 18, 1932. c. E. BRE MILLER MACHINE FOR HEAT TREATING GLASS TUBES AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 |4VENTOR ATTORNEY Filed Sept. 16, 92

Patented Oct. 18, 1932 CLIFFORD E. BEE KILLER, OI CHIdAGO, ILLINOIS,

ASSIGHOB TO 000! LABORATORIES,

nm, or-cmcaco, ILLINOIS, a CORPORATION or DELAWARE moms ron mm TREATING cuss rum m m 1.111: I Application am September 10, 1027. semi Io. amass.

This invention relates to machines for heat treating lass tubes and the like; and alms among ot er objects to provide a machine of this type which will remove or smooth the rough edges of such tubes.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view on a larger scale;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view on the scale of Fig. 3, taken on the line H of Fig. 1; and I Figs. 5 and 6 are diagrammatic sketches showin how the receptacle moves automatical y responsive to the numbers of tubes delivered to it.

In the manufacture of certain medicamentdispensing cartridges for hypodermic and other syringes, glass tubes are used which are cut from lengths of tubing. After such cutting the edges of the tubes are uneven, which may result in painful cuts to the users thereof, and which may cause the tubes to crack when subjected to later steps in the manufacturing process, or when used in the syringes. The present machine heats the ends of the tubes sufficiently so that the shar edges are fused, leaving the ends of the tubes relatively smooth; and at the same time, the tube ends are materially stronger and more resistant to fracture.

Referring particularly to the drawings, there is shown a conveyor 10 to carry the tubes to be heat-treated past a source of heat, for example, Bunsen burners, preferably arranged in two batteries 11, 12 on opposite sides of the conveyor. Herein the conveyor is horizontal and comprises a pair of power driven endless chains, each of whose links has a projection 13 for engaging a tube, the two chains being spaced closer' together than the length of one of the driven synchronously so that each of the tubes may be engaged by two opposite projections 13, which carrythe tubes in the direction in which the conveyor moves. Asshown, the

- shaft 21, 22.

tubes, and being b conveyor moves between a supply station, herein the hopper l4, and a discharge station, herein the receptacle 15.

To deliver the tubes from the hopper 14 to the conveyor, notched wheels 16 (Fig. 3) are mounted on a power-driven shaft 17 in the bottom of the hopper 14; and the hopper has gers or guards 18 cooperating with the wheels to insure the delivery of only one tube at a time. The linear velocity of the'wheels 16 is referably equal to the linear velocity of the c ains so that the tubes are automatically deposited, one to each pair of projections 13 on the opposite sides of the conveyor.

e chains are shown trained over sprocket wheels 19 and 20 secured to shafts 21 and 22 respectively, mounted in suitable standards 23 and 24 respectively, and are driven by any source of motive power connected to either Herein the hopper 14 is mounted 5 on the standard 23 and the shaft 17 is driven at the required speed by a chain 25 or the like connected to the shaft 21. Suitable clutching means 26 may be connected to the shaft 17 if desired.

To guide the upper flights of the conveyor and maintain them properly spaced, a runway is provided in the form of an L or channel bar 27 having side flanges 28 and suitabl' supported on legs 29. The flanges 28, whic P are preferably of refractory material, such as firerick or the like to intensify and localize the heat of the burners, project above the bar 27 to protect the chains from the flames of the burners and to serve as tracks for the tubes,

the ends of which project slightly over the flanges and into the flames of the burners. As the tubes do not rest on the chains but are merely rolled along the tracks by the projection on the chain, the entire circumference of the ends of the tubes is evenly heated.

It is preferable to locate the burners 11 on one side of the trackway near the hopper end of the conveyor and the burners 12 on the opposite side near the receptacle end. If the urners were placed directly opposite each other, both ends of the tube would be heated at the same time which may result in such heating throughout the length of the tubes that they would soften and droop in the midupturned flange 5 cally makes to insure easy entry of cient number of burners, or a suflicient heating zone, to insure heating all the tubes to the temperature necessary to soften the ends.

To keep the tubes in proper position in transit, guides 30 and 31 are provided on each side of the tracks. Those on the burner sides,

- indicated at 30, are supported slightly above and to the side of the track 28 to permit the flames to play on the ends of the tubes and are preferably of refractory material to withstand the heat. The guides 31 on the opposite side from the burners may be made of sheet metal or the like. To localize the heat so far as possible, all the burners are inclined (Fig. 4) to direct their flames against the tube ends and the refractory material, and preferably as shown are individually adj ustable to compensate for irregularities in the flames and to adjust the flames relative to the articles to be heated.

The receptacle 15 into which the tubes are delivered after they have been treated is herein shown as being mounted on a swinging support 32 secured to a shaft 33 which is pivoted on the standard 24. The outer end of the support 32 is provided with an 34 to support the rear of the receptacle and the inner end is provided with a flange 35 projecting into the receptacle and engaging the bottom thereof. The shaft preferably has a weighted arm 36 mounted thereon to counterbalance and keep the receptacle in the proper position. Obviously, the more treated tubes enter the receptacle, the greater its weight and the lower it will hang; thus the receptacle automatiroom for the tubes as fast as necessary, and is always at the proper angle the tubes without a precipitate fall. The receptacle 15 is claimed per se in a co-pending application Ser. No.

To direct the tubes into the receptacle, guides 37 in the form of strips of sheet metal or the like are employed on each side of the conveyor 10, which strips extend beyond the standards 24 and into the receptacle.

Upper flanges 38 are formed on the guides 37 and extend into the receptacle beyond the guides to prevent the tubes from piling up and falling over the sides of the recepta- It is desirable to adjust the chains, preferably at either end, to raise or lower, tighten or loosen them, to effect the proper coordination with the tube feeding mechanism,

' the tube guides and the supports on which the tubes roll. As shown-in Fig. 3, "the shafts 21, 22 are supported in movable bearings 39, 40, respectively, which are adjustable vertically by the set screws 42, 43 respectively, and which are horizontal-1y adjusted 10 by which they are pushed along the tracks 28 through the flames of the burners 11 and 12 and into the receptacle 15 ready for use. The operator has merely to keep the hopper 14 filled with tubes to be treated, and to replace the filled receptacles with empty ones. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the treated tubes roll into the receptacle, gradually increasing its weight and causing it to lower automatically to receive additional tubes. The receptacles are composed chiefly of netting or other open material, giving free access to the air, and insuring cooling of the tubes before the next manufacturing process.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that a machine has been provided which will efliciently and automatically remove the rough edges from the ends of glass tubes or the like, and will strengthen them. Moreover, the machine is simple in construction and may be manufactured and operated at very little expense.

Obviously the present invention is not restricted to the particular embodiment thereof herein shown and described. Moreover, it is not indispensable that all the features of the invention be used conj ointly, since they may be employed advantageously in various combinations and subcombinations.

What is claimed is 1. A machine for treating glass cartridge tubes and the like, comprising, in combination, a conveyor; and a counterbalanced tube receiving receptacle at the discharge end of the conveyor; said receptacle being movable responsive to the increase in total weight of the tubes as they collect in the receptacle, so as to permit the entry of additional tubes.

2. A machine for treating the ends of glass cartridge tubes and the like, comprising, in combination, a storage hopper; a counterbalanced receiving receptacle; a conveyor between the hopper and the receptacle; a source of heat located on opposite sides of the conveyor; means for guiding the tubes in transit; the conveyor being so constructed and arranged that it feeds the tubes into the receptacle, which is at the discharge end of the conveyor; the counterbalancing of the receptacle permitting automatic changing of the position of the receptacle, as-it fills, to receive additional tubes.

3. A machine for heat-treating the ends of glass tubes and the like; comprising, in combination, a hop er; a pivoted support; acounterbalance or said support; a tube remeans for delivering the tubes from ceiving receptacle on the sup ort; a conveyor for moving the tubes from the ho peer to the receptacle and so constructed and arranged as to discharge'the tubes into the receptacle;

the hopper to the conveyor; and means for heatmeans into guiding and charge end of t pivotally mounted at the discharge end of treating the tubes in transit.

4. In combination, a tubes and the like; a receptacle pivotally mounted at the discharge end of the conveyor adapted to receive the tubes from the conveyor; and a pair of longitudinally of the conveyor into the receptacle, said uides having upperflanges exe receptacle, beyond the endspiling tending into t of the ides, to prevent the tubes from up an ialling out of the receptacle. s 5. In combination, a conveyor for tubes and the like; a swinging su ally mounted at the dischar e en veyor; a receptacle carried y said swinging support; and a counterweight secured to the swin ing su port to counterbalance the it of sai support and said receptacle, as and for the purpose described.

6. A machine of the class described comprising, in combination, an endless conve aving meansfor pushing the tubes; tube supporting means atthe dise conveyor; a receptacle lass 'port pivotthe receptacle and being counterbalanced to swing res nsive to the tubes 'as t ey accumulate in and means projecting from the tube from pilingup an the receptacle.

In testimony that I. claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my si ature.

CLIF ORD E. BRE MIIETER.

falling over'the sides of conveyor for glass tube guides extending of the conyor greater weightof the receptacle;

ding the receptacle to prevent tfil tubes 

